Demon Awakening
by OprahGirl
Summary: Kagome...she's only a priestess, right? A miko? Nothing less, nothing more. But then...What is she doing, hanging around with THAT crowd?
1. dark night

Disclaimer: I dont own anything except the plot. no characters or anything... :(

FYI, i wont update anything a lot. ever. except for email...

* * *

Kagome was currently sneaking around her home village, the one near the well to her own time. She was looking for someone, and they were here the other night too. She must drive him away. She must protect the innocent people. Finally, she spotted a tiny and well concealed movement inside a hut.

She snuck inside, and saw a certain someone couched over an unconscious person, all three of them hidden in the dark shadows.

"Naraku!" Kagome cried. She had caught him in the act of stealing a priest's life.

He looked around, searching for the sound's source. Making a 40 degree turn to the right, he sensed spiritual power and stopped. The miko stepped out into the light of the moon and showed herself, eyes narrowed.

Naraku cursed silently, for she had disrupted the thin barrier he had put up around him, and the spiritual power of the old man pulsed silver in the darkness was obviously there, ready for Naraku's taking.

He would have to come back another time.

He pulled his baboon pelt around him and leapt deftly out of the open window, leaving the confused miko why he didn't just confront her. She could still see him running, slightly slower than usual, into the forest.

Someone tapped on her shoulder, and she jolted around, expecting some small youkai, to steal the leftover spiritual power. Instead, she found Sango, all sleepy, standing in her night gown staring intently into Kagome's eyes.

"Kagome, what's wrong? Couldn't sleep?" Sango asked, slightly more awake with each passing moment.

Kagome debated on whether to tell her Naraku was doing a nightly visit for the past day (night, actually) to steal some spiritual power. Her warning senses told her to explain what she had seen.

Sango's eyes widened, glinting off the waning moon, currently working to stay away from the clouds, and failing.

A breeze carried on through the night, floating through the unsuspecting peoples' dwellings, and through the house they had been currently sleeping in.

There was a tiny flurry of movement, and the next thing the two girls knew, Inuyasha was holding a struggling but helpless kitsune, dangling from his hand. Shippo crossed his arms and pouted and begged all in the same, darling look.

"Inuyasha," Kagome whispered warningly into his twitching ear. "Put him down. I swear he's going to put a restraining order on you some day, when he can."

The hanyou looked confused, still holding onto the still-struggling kid. "HUH? What's that?"

Kagome sighed impatiently. "Never mind. Just let go of the poor baby, will you?"

At this, the kitsune looked indignant. "I am NOT a baby! Sheesh! What's with you two?" he said, looking between Sango and Kagome.

Inuyasha took the words differently and ignored Miroku when he entered and announced, "I'm here!". He cocked his head slightly and asked, "So, tell me the reason you're here, taking this late night stroll, in another's house. A village priests, to be exact." He looked down at the man regaining consciousness on the floor, his aura around him getting slightly stronger and more silvery.

"Yeah, fine. Go ahead and ignore me." Miroku complained, just as Shippo said, "Since when are you all perfect when talking?"

Inuyasha took no notice of them and kept asking annoying questions. "So who was here? Why's the old man just lying there? What, you didn't break his back, did you Kagome?"

Shippo, knowing it would attract his attention, muttered something that sounded awfully like _lovebirds. _

Inuyasha shot him a look of loathing and Shippo, deciding it would be more convenient to keep his head, shut up.

Miroku sighed and rolled his eyes. When was Inuyasha going to admit being in love with the girl? Better yet, when was he going to get along with the kid? The little fox youkai didn't do anything wrong…yet. And, he was scared of Kagome, because it looked like she was close to her breaking point and was about to scream her head off at Inuyasha, that forbidden word she couldn't say around him (unless being punished).

Inuyasha seemed to notice the same thing and said, "Just tell me what happened. God."

Kagome took as fast as she could to her explanation; she didn't want to talk all night. Seriously, even she needed her beauty sleep sometimes.

Finally, many minutes later, Kagome asked why Inuyasha was there and how he found them so fast with that wary expression on his face.

He was playing with his ears until that little question of hers. All of a sudden, he was alert and said, "I smelled Sesshomaru nearby, and that bitch Kagura. Naraku apparently went downwind from me, so I didn't notice him."

_Sesshomaru?_ Kagome wondered, exchanging a glance with Sango. _What was he doing here with_ them?

* * *

Ch 1 done


	2. clearing

Kanna:

"Kagura, let's go. I've had enough of this place, and Naraku has already left. We have no more business here…for tonight." Kanna said, in her whispery voice.

They were in a small bare place in the depths of a green forest, the light fading into darkness, the sky lit up in beautiful hues of the blue sky to the darkening purple above.

"Yeah yeah, sister. But, you do have a point." Kagura sighed. "Where to? Lets go somewhere new, huh?"

But Kanna shook her head a little bit.

"God, what a killjoy." Kagura complained.

One of Kanna's jobs was to look after Kagura. Naraku didn't trust her. Actually, who would?

Kanna was just silent and looked with her deep, knowing eyes.

She felt another youkai's presence nearby. Sesshomaru. She didn't need her mirror to tell her this, and she already knew about the truth Kagura was trying to keep from Naraku. Either way, she decided to have a little of her own fun, and turned to face Kagura full on.

The white-haired girl lifted her head slowly and glared, with lots of implications for her to watch out.

_Watch out for what?_ Kagura silently mouthed. The point had gotten through.

"Idiot Kagura. You should know better than to taunt me. I can reflect you, you know. I know your darkest secrets, and can become a tattle tale like _that_." She snapped her fingers and her eyes glowed.

"Shut UP! God, you are so annoying sometimes, girl. Who seriously raised you to be like that? Insolent little girl. Ugh, sometimes its easy to hate you," Kagura complained.

Kanna rolled her eyes, still being silent, knowing the youkai would find them if she spoke out loud. Rolling her eyes was not her thing. She told her mirror to tell Kagura what she could not. The mirror showed the woman an ear: Sesshomaru's, to be exact. The picture of him panned out slowly, showing him off little by little.

Kanna smiled a little. Even the mirror knew how slow the wind woman could be sometimes. Sheesh, would she wake up a little once in a while!

Kagura stomped her foot in annoyance and began walking away, but that plan was botched when her head cocked slightly as she slowed to a stop. She slightly crouched, a defensive position readying her to spring at any given moment. Finally, she had actually sensed him, but it was too late. He was getting nearer.

He was getting nearer. Would Naraku arrive? Would he take the dog as a pawn to get the shikon shards? Kanna wasn't sure, for her creator was unpredictable most times like this. She never knew what to expect.

Leave. A little voice in her head told her. Naraku. There were to be no run-ins tonight. She took Kagura full on in her gaze and plopped down gracefully on the floor, sending messages by mirror, a moving clip of a person walking away from something in the backround.

Kagura's breath came in a huff, then sighed, looked toward the area where Sesshomaru was coming from, and strode past the little girl deeper into the forest they were in.

Kanna smiled softly in satisfaction, and got up also in that graceful little way of hers and glided away, never looking behind, using her mirror to take their scent away from the small clearing.

They would come back later.


	3. scared

Kanna:

We walked out of the forest, leaving the obviously confused Sesshomaru behind. Kagura's eyes twinkled and smiled, turning her into a beautiful woman. When she was not having her face occupied with random looks that didn't really suit her, she looked bad. But having a smile put there made her face become temporarily masked by the daylight it never was.

Kanna was beautiful in a different way: quiet and her know-all eyes, blue-white, like a snowstorm. Her silvery hair blew with the slight breeze as they walked out, the moonlight waning and of a crescent shape. Soon, it was time for Inuyasha to become mortal. But Kanna couldn't care. And Kagura didn't really care, either, except that Inuyasha was of the blood of Sesshomaru and slightly looked like him.

Kanna knew that Kagura didn't want to kill him for that purpose. Not either of the brothers. Great. And what if Naraku told her to? She had to know.

"Hey Kagura? I wanna ask you a question, is that okay?" Her silky soft voice sounded through the sleeping village, the one where Inuyasha and his group resided, slipping and weaving through the dwellings.

"What?" Kagura snapped, annoyed at the small girl. They had just settled down and she was about to sleep when she had to interrupt. She glared with her piercing reddish-brown eyes.

"Kagura, how much do you love Sesshomaru?"

The black haired woman looked at Kanna in surprise. She wasn't one to miss much, that was for sure. Kanna was a bold but shy girl, if that was even possible. She could stand aside and let things go on as they were, unlike Kagura, who had to interfere. She had this habit of being a little too quiet, actually, but learned weaknesses and past their opponents' brave fronts. Kagura laughed softly to herself, secretly knowing that nothing could ever escape her little "sister". "You are so quiet yet you miss nothing. It would be nice to be you for a day. But then again, I'm me and you are you." She took a breath. "Well, sister, lets say that I adore Sesshomaru. Have you noticed when Naraku comes around, he isn't a bit scared? And no one owns him, and he does his own little thing. And that GIT is annoying, the green guy."

"Jaken, Kagura, Jaken. And the girl's name is Rin."

"Yes, Rin. She is cute, and so obedient to him. And he was known for being hateful to humans! No mercy on anyone, but then she came along…she's very lucky, isn't she?"

Kanna's pale, blue-silver eyes flashed and slightly narrowed. She hadn't missed the fact that Kagura has sort of shifted the question. But it was good enough for now. Kagura could be such a pain sometimes!

"So, will you let me sleep now, sister?" She didn't wait for an answer, and Kagura turned to make her position in the tree more comfortable. "Tomorrow is the night, Kanna. The night where Naraku completes his plan. Tomorrow is the night…"

And so it was. Naraku wanted some spiritual power to override that annoying Kagome. She was a nuisance to Naraku, and made Kanna's job harder. But then again…what would happen when Naraku won? What would happen to Kanna and Kagura?

And without Kagome, Naraku could defeat Inuyasha. Inuyasha was no one without the girl he most obviously cherished and his friends to help him out in sticky times.

But then, again, what would happen to her? Naraku would have no more use for her when he took over. _And_, she admitted to herself, _You're scared. Not knowing the future can harm you-infinitely. _She must warn the group.

She must tell Inuyasha and his friends of the task that waited ahead. And she must go. Now, in the dead of night, alone.


	4. visitor

**Disclaimer:** I don't own the characters... :( All to Rumiko Takahashi, the amazing manga artist.

--but sori for extrememly slow update! got caught up in stuffs to do...specially read manga XD

* * *

Kagome:

Something was going to happen tonight. Something important.

She couldn't shake off the feeling that my group was going to find out something vital for our benefit…what would happen tonight?

Kagome lied on her futon, looking outside and at the bright stars. They were so much brighter and so much more in quantity here in Sengoku Jidai, and the moon seemed much closer.

Even looking at the peace-filled sky, an uneasy feeling kept buzzing in the bottom pits of her stomach. She took deep breaths, thinking that maybe she ate something not fully cooked, or somehow her stomach was producing more acid all of a sudden. Nothing helped, so she let herself drift away, into nightmares of fire and destruction.

* * *

Kagome woke up with a start, bumping into Shippou as she propped herself on her hands. She was breathing heavily, and her body was radiating heat, letting the kitsune know that something was going to happen.

"Uhhh, Kagome? What's wrong?"

At this, Kagome shook her head and put a finger to her lips, to show him to be quiet. He was still groggy, so he didn't understand, and said louder, "Kagome, are you alright? Hey, Kagome, I think someone is out there. Is that why you woke up?" He blinked hard and shook his head as an attempt to clear the ringing.

"SHHHHH!" She shot a warning glance at Shippou, motioned him to stay there, and quietly got up and walked to the doorway.

As she moved aside the grass mat that acted as a door, Shippou and Kagome saw a dark shadow, creeping in the darkness towards them.

The figure stepped into a pool of light coming from a lantern previously left there earlier, and the thing's eyes glinted, shiny balls of light reflecting off of the bottom of their eyes. Their hair flashed a blinding silver and went dark again as the figure lightly leapt in front of the raised bow and arrow Kagome had put up.

"Shhhh, be silent Kagome. It's Kanna. I've come to warn you."

Shippou was startled and backed away into the hut. "Why are you here?" He whispered as loud as he dared, which was not loud at all.

"I told you already. I need to warn you of Naraku's plans."

Her spine slightly stiffened as a slight breeze rippled behind her, letting her know someone else had seen her.

"Why the hell are you here? What do you want?" Inuyasha's voice ripped through the peace of the darkness.

"I want nothing, Inuyasha. I just needed to warn you of Naraku. I know some of his plans."

"And _why _would you tell us? It's not like you are our spy or something, gathering inside information on what his next move is."

"You want to know why? Let's just say I don't want to disappear from the earth so quickly. I actually like living, if you ask me."

"Well we _didn't_ ask you. All I asked is why, and that wasn't an answer." Inuyasha was getting irritated.

"What's all the commotion? You could have woken me up earlier!!!" Miroku meandered in, the effects of sleep still on him deeply, and his clothes he has hastily put on were twisted and not secure.

Shippou bounded over and settled on the safety of the monk's back. "Hey Miroku," he whispered, "Look who it is. Kanna! And she says that she will tell us Naraku's plans. But I think it's a trap. What about you?"

"I dunno, we'll just have to wait it out. Anyways, I say keep Sango sleeping. She wouldn't take lightly to this."

Kanna interrupted their side conversation with a look. "Naraku wants to…gather all the corrupted spiritual power to…override Kagome. Like a couple nights ago, when he wanted the preist's power? Yeah, well, he's making this oni made up of spiritual power to capture you and kill Kagome. The thing is, that is all I know.

"And you guys somehow found this all out on your _own_, figured it out, or something, get away from here, and I…I was never here. I didn't tell you _anything_."

And with that, she shimmered back into the shadows that would take over her once again.


	5. warning

Disclaimer: I do not legally own any of the Inuyasha characters.

* * *

Kagura:

"Where the heck have you been, Kanna? I woke up like, half an hour ago, and you weren't in the forest anymore. I was waiting, you know…"

"Gomenasai, Kagura. I was…taking a stretch. I couldn't fall asleep, so I decided to take a walk near the Bone Eater's Well. That's not doing any harm to anyone, ne?"

Kagura sighed. Something wasn't right here…Kanna was hiding something, but she didn't want to find out. It was for their sake.

Kanna began panicking in her internal way, her composure still blank and giving away nothing. What if Naraku found out what she had done? What would happen to her? She would be destroyed…a Barbie doll's head to a boy. But it would be _her_ head and _her_ death…

Kanna was so focused in on her thoughts that she didn't notice anything amiss. But she did notice that Kagura had stopped breathing for a time and was staring with widened eyes beyond Kanna's shoulders.

Kanna's back stiffened and she reached in her baby blue kimono for her mirror she was hiding as she felt someone's fingers rest lightly on her shoulders. She felt someone's silvery hair brush over her ear…it could only be one person.

Sesshomaru.

Kanna looked at Kagura, noticing how still the girl had gotten, trying to cover her shock of seeing her crush…

"What?" Kanna's whispery voice shattered the thick silence, and her head turned, her eyes only inches away from the inuyoukai's red ones. His eyes flickered to Kagura, and then back again at her, daring her to say something degrading. She didn't, but said, "Why are you here?"

He lightly took a tiny step back, his eyes still focused onto hers. He no longer had any contact with her-was it because of Kagura's racing heartbeat?- but he was close enough and his words were soft enough that only Kanna could hear his voice of razors. "I know where you went, girl. I know who you're with and what his intent is. Be wary of what he wants to do to you. I will not breathe a word of what went on tonight, but I have plans of my own. You will help me. Correct?" The youkai was glaring at her.

Kanna glared right back in her unresponsive, icy way.

"The miko will be mine. _Mine._ Naraku's plans will be ripped to shreds in his mind with me guarding her. You will watch over the others, tell them that she told you that she willingly went for her and their sake. Dammit, are you listening?!"

"For your information, I am not a message rat, thank you. And yes, I am listening. What else would I be doing, hmmmm?"

He snarled, but Kanna unflinchingly dared him on. Finally, after a game of "Stare the Other Down", Sesshomaru sighed and said, "Fine. I'll tell them. Without the miko. You keep her out of their sight and hearing range."

"Much better, inu. You get the bigger part. The rest is up to you, though. You understand, little doggy?"

"I am _not_ little!"

"Yes, but you act like a little child sometimes. Wait….look at me in the eye again. No, I said, in the _eye_, not at the tree! Yes, that's right. Oh. Mite. Your eyes…are you…infatuated with the girl? Possibly?

"Well, I don't want to pry. The less known the better, ne? And don't go around showing your emotions like that. They are very easy to read. Well, for me, that is. My mirror…nevermind."

"Yes, I'm not stupid, little girl. As much as you might think, I'm smarter than you. Your mirror."

He leapt onto the nearest tree branch gave one last cold warning, and left with his company, who had hidden nearby.

"Kan-na. Kanna. _Kanna_. What did he say? Why did he look at me? Was it bad? Did he…eh, nevermind, ne."

"You talk too much." Kanna softly said, devoid of much emotion. Her shining hair ruffled with the warm breeze floating through the forest. "Go to sleep…it was nothing of importance." She offered no explanation, but was vague, and it annoyed Kagura. She would ask for a little more details later.

_Later_… the word echoed in her mind, all the way up to the hoshi above her head. The stars ignored what happened below the heavens, twinkling in their ever-cheery way.


	6. following

Kagome:

Something was going on. She could feel it. Something not good. Was it some sort of death she knew that drew near? Or was it just a danger, an oni or youkai that the group faced often?

They didn't have or possess a shard, if it was some sort of creature. So that option had to be ruled out.

Kagome looked down at herself to see the shards softly glowing, shimmering, the few shards' luminosity staring at her in the soft moonlight. In a few days, it would be a new moon.

And the first night of the new moon meant Inuyasha was to turn to a human mortal, his jet-black hair there instead of his silver, and his cute furry ears would disappear. The whole group would be in danger that night, as the word of his secret somehow seeped out and was becoming more known. Everyone in his group would have to stay awake, even little Shippou would have to try a little harder than usual, as they were so near to the Bone Eater's Well.

Kagome had decided to take a little walk, as she couldn't sleep well that night. In fact, she didn't sleep very well in the past week. Just a few hours ago, Kanna had visited her group, to give a warning of dangers to come. But was she lying? No, she couldn't possibly be. It had seemed that she had snuck away from Kagura, her usual partner.

But why would Kanna tell them what Naraku's intention was? He trusted her more than Kagura, at least. And he could kill Kanna in about two seconds, her heart putty in his dangerous hands. She was a puppet, only to be controlled by Naraku and to carry out his orders.

But she had defied him, and warned mainly Kagome of what was to come. And when would it happen? Tomorrow, in a week, a fortnight? She must get away from here, from this danger that involved evreyone's lives. Inuyasha, Sango, Shippou, Miroku, Kilala-what would happen to them? Should she leave, or would that put them in even more danger than they already were?

Kagome's mind was swimming, drowning, weighted down by these questions. She loved them all, loved them as a family. She couldn't abandon them in hopes of letting them live.

She realized with a start that she had been walking around in circles, making a wider girth around the village every time. Suddenly, the miko became exhausted and sat down with a long sigh. She didn't know what to do.

As tears began to travel down her cheeks, she heard a slight rustle in the wind. And she smelled something, even with her weak human nose. It was a fragrance that no one could forget, one that was so individual and easy to point out. It was a beautiful blend of something closest to vanilla, rose, the earth and something else that could not be identified. He hadn't even bothered to go upwind. It was the scent of Sesshomaru.

The girl put her head and buried it in the cloth of the kimono she was wearing, as it was a bit of a chilly night, too cold for her normal school uniform she usually wore. She didn't want anyone to see her like this, without courage, so helplessly…human. Even though she knew he would smell the salt of her tears, she tried to hide her problems anyway.

She didn't realize he was next to her until he gently put a hand out and swept away the hair in her face. She jumped slightly and turned her head more the other way, facing the forest around her.

Wait. Sesshomaru, gentle? He was never so. Well, never that she's seen him act, but maybe that was because he was always quarreling with Inuyasha. Except, it was usually more than a little argument, more of a big power/sword fight.

"Come." His velvet voice floated along with the cool air, into the forest and up to the tsuki and hoshi above them.

Entranced, Kagome stood up clumsily, tumbling into the arms of Sesshomaru. She looked up, took his wrist, and followed wherever he was taking her. She felt a tingling sensation in her fingertips, as if they fell asleep, and it itched a little.

She became more sure of herself as she walked with him, trailing behind a little in her subconscious mind. Her eyes glazed and her thoughts empty, she went forward without a single glance backward.

She left her beloved family for Sesshomaru, and the miko smiled a hint of a cruel smile.


	7. dawning

_So sorry it's taken so long to post this chapter! (….what, 3 months? That's an eternity!) Also, I don't own Rumiko Takahashi's characters from Inuyasha. This is just a fanfic….Actually, I've been busy with:_

_a. School_

_b. Anime_

_c. Manga_

_d. Other website accounts_

_e. Soccer_

_f. Seriously everything else in the world…and of course,_

_g. The great and lovely….LAZINESS! (that's the biggest one)_

_h. Wait…..this is a long list! It's kind of…a writer's block, I guess. I don't have the motivation right now._

* * *

Kanna:

She watched quietly as a relatively fast exchange of words was passed between the miko and the inu youkai. She saw the girl's love for her "family" waver for this mysteriously gentle animal.

Wait. Gentle? Sesshomaru, _gentle_? That couldn't be right, and yet…he wasn't acting harsh in any way. What was going on?

She saw Kagome turn her head away from Sesshomaru, obviously embarrassed to be seen so helpless.

A flash of his reddish-amber eyes met Kanna's, warning her not to interfere or make any noise.

She almost rolled her eyes at the warning. Why would she have any reason to mess up Sesshomaru's plans? She wanted him to succeed.

She saw Kagome get up, clinging to the inu youkai, and go towards the safety of the forest, away from her friends.

Kanna began to run, as silent as mist, and as swift as a bird. She reached

the cover of trees that the two others were hiding in, unnoticed by the girl.

Sesshomaru said something to keep the miko there without following him. Kanna came out from behind the tree she was behind, and sat down next to the girl, saying nothing.

Kagome lied down on a soft patch of grass, more at ease than she was with the group. She knew that Sesshomaru would be gone until the dawn or so, when the others would realize that she wasn't there with them.

Kanna made eye contact with the miko. They nodded at each other, letting the other know that Kanna would go closer to Sesshomaru, but would be near enough to protect the girl. She would keep her promise to the youkai that she would guard her while he was gone to tell whatever story he had to the group.

She drifted over to the edge of the forest, with the little village in sight. She could pick out the exact huts where Inuyasha's friends were. All the while, she held onto her kagami, which showed where the older brother was.

Time passed.

Birds began to make their early morning ruckus as the sky lightened, little by little. The hoshi began to disappear one by one as the opposing light became stronger and stronger.

The kagami switched views, showing first the girl –was her name Sango?- with the hiraikotsu wake up. Then, next to her, the tiny kitsune yawned and turned over, not wanting to rouse himself from sleep. The one who liked this Sango, Miroku, was also beginning to wake up, murmuring "May I have your babies?" to his blanket as he did so. The woman hit him, and the two began to bicker half-heartedly, still not fully awake.

Inuyasha woke with a start, as he usually did. The miko's presence was faded a bit, but her sense of smell still lingered and dominated the hut. As he glanced around, however, he noticed she wasn't there.

He didn't think much of it, since Kagome often took little walks in the dawn. These walks were short, though, so it would be another few minutes or so until they became uneasy.

More time passed.

Kagome still didn't show up.

The group of 4 became tense, and all was deathly silent and still.

A soft thud was heard on the roof over their heads, below the lightening sky, and they repositioned themselves, bracing themselves for whatever was to come...

* * *

haha, hopefully this isn't so disappointing....i wrote it yesterday. it's a bit short, but i've overcome (sort of) that laziness disease i've seem to have catched. i tried to leave it in suspense at the end there...it probably didn't work though. XD

AAAAND! inuyasha episodes are being released again!!! the new season, which has to be a bit rushed (they're finishing off the series), is by another company so the animation is a bit different. you can only tell if you've watched the whole thing and are vvverrryyy familiar with how they were animated. it's still casted by the same people, though, which is great!!! It's called Kanketsu-hen, or The Final Act.


	8. going

All right, so sorry it has been forever since I've posted! Almost a half year or so now. In fact, I had to read everything over again to remind myself of what I wrote. And then I read my little author's note at the end of last chapter… *fails* Haha, I guess I was tired or something. And, I decided to try to make my chapters longer. I don't have an excuse for not posting this time, just…life.

And I have decided to keep Sesshy with both of his arms. :D Hooray for 2 arms!

* * *

------------------------Sesshomaru---------------------------

He landed softly - but not too softly – on the roof where the miko's group was staying. He wanted to alert them of his presence without making too much of a fuss. He hated fusses. He tried to steer clear of little dramas like that.

He put his shoulders back and stood straight as the wind behind him rippled his mokomoko slightly, the effect like a wind blowing across an open grass field. A small smile devoid of any actual emotion graced his face as he leapt down to touch the dirt ground directly outside the hut's door and took a couple of steps back.

He would wait for them to figure out who their little visitor was and come out themselves. He wouldn't deal with them at all if they didn't have the guts to meet him face-to-face, he decided. If they didn't come out in the next thirty seconds, he would just leave, as quietly as he came.

He had only waited for five when Inuyasha came out, followed by the humans and lastly the kitsune.

"Where is Kagome?" Inuyasha's loud, demanding voice made his ears flatten against his skull. "What have you done with her?"

"Yeah, where's Kagome? She left and didn't come back! And she wouldn't have gone to the well without telling us," the kitsune supplied, eyes wide with worry for the miko.

Miroku and Sango just nodded their agreement.

Sesshomaru calmly said, "The miko has decided to be with this Sesshomaru instead of staying with you. She is tired of your antics and constant danger that you bring."

"She's with _you_?" Inuyasha's disbelieving voice was once again too loud for Sesshomaru's liking. "She ditched us to be with you?"

"She did it for her own and your sake." Sesshomaru was tired of them for tonight, and turned gracefully to leave.

"Oh, no, you don't! Don't you dare leave. Wind scar!" Sesshomaru easily dodged the attack even though his back was turned, and kept on his way, quickly becoming smaller on the early-morning horizon. The hanyou was _way_ too predictable at times.

Soon, he got bored of walking and decided to speed things up a bit. He flew over to where the miko was staying and ignored Kanna's presence closer to the edge of the forest. The wind caressed his hair and mokomoko.

Oh yeah. Kagura was still around, too. He had almost forgotten about her, his mind preoccupied with the miko and where to take her next. Of course, it had to be fairly far from here, to discourage her little company of strange acquaintances from going to find them. Of course, he was very much adept at hiding both his youki presence and any trails to follow.

He began thinking of what Kanna had said earlier, about Naraku trying to overpower her with spiritual power. He would have to take her somewhere safe, with a onsen around, of course. He knew how much the girl enjoyed onsens and that she would relax more if he provided a comfortable stay.

His heart was becoming soft for the girl. He would have to discourage that – his heart softened for nobody except Rin.

That's right….Rin, Ah-Un, and Jaken…He would take the miko to them, first, and they would travel together. He had a feeling close to adoration for the brave, bright little child.

He paused, just slightly, to catalogue where the trio was. They weren't too far, Sesshomaru having told them to stay in a meadow filled with flowers and trees that were bound to amuse the girl, along with a stream filled with fish they could feed off of while he was gone.

He stiffened as the miko came behind, thoughtlessly hugging him from his back, clasping her hands around his armor and stomach. His instincts screamed at him to fight, but he resisted. He had went out of his way to get the miko, and he wouldn't ruin his chance now.

Kagome apparently sensed his slight tension and stepped away a little, even though she craved the close presence of someone she could trust. But, could she trust him?

Sesshomaru saw doubt creep into her eyes as she kept questioning things, her sleepiness confusing her even more. He decided to give her a break as he moved behind her and swept her up, bridal style, so that she could sleep as they traveled.

He didn't want an ill-tempered, confused, and annoying girl in his presence. He kept thinking of how to ruin the hanyou Naraku's plans as he walked.

-------------------------------Kagome-----------------------------

She was confused. Very, very confused. Why was Sesshomaru showing something akin to kindness toward her? Why had she followed him in the first place? What would happen to Shippou, Miroku, Sango, and Inuyasha? Would they follow and get hurt? But then again, if she was away from them, Naraku wouldn't follow them, but he would still target her. And then, Sesshomaru and his group might get hurt.

She hesitantly stepped towards Sesshomaru, his back turned. She stumbled forward before wrapping her arms around his stomach area. She needed the comfort that she had made the right decision. She needed to make sure she wasn't going to be shunned. She needed someone's close presence to ease her doubts.

He felt him stiffen slightly, but he didn't do anything more. She relaxed a little, some of her thoughts eased, but stepped away, still slightly confused, but trying to be considerable and giving him space.

All of a sudden, he was behind her and picked her up. She suppressed her urge to squeal at the sudden movement. Kagome hadn't even seen him move.

And then she began to relax in his strong grip, his mokomoko soft against her cheek. She was so tired, she realized. She had barely gotten three hours of sleep last night. She drifted away into strange dreams as he traveled along in the depths of the mori.

_Naraku stood there, pelt blowing around him, the sides snapping back every so often. There was a strange blue-white glow surrounding him, and he appeared to look straight at her before he dissolved into the night, all the while juggling bowling pins._

_ Buyo stood there with a haughty yet lazy demeanor and walked into the kitchen, the scent of ramen visibly floating out of the doorway. Inuyasha threw open the sliding door, bounded in, and sat like an inu right next to Buyo, begging for the ramen. _

_ Kagome walked into her math class in the middle of a lecture. Everyone turned to stare at her, and her sensei seemed annoyed at the interruption, but didn't stop talking. He nodded toward her desk, silently telling her to quickly take a seat, and the numbers and variables began to fly off of the chalkboard, dancing their way through the aisles and to her desk. Kagome's back was turned, so she didn't notice, but when she sat down, she saw the smiling numbers circling her head and screeched. She hastily got out of her seat and ran full-speed out the door, the numbers still singing a childen's song. _

_ Kagome was at the city library, trying to catch up on her studies of science. It was boring work, and she began to tire. She flipped a page, and the picture on the page peeled away from the book, coming to life. It took a seat next to her as another picture came out of the book, then another, and yet another. Soon, the library was filled with diagrams and random things. They chatted amiably with each other, teaching her what the textbook said, but in a less boring way. _

_ Sesshomaru was a cat, sensually slinking around, his white tail tipped with a blue moon. It flicked back and forth with each step, almost dragging on the ground. His eyes bored into Kagome's hypnotized stare, and he circled around her. With every pass he came closer and closer, and soon his tail was winding its way around her legs. She sat cross-legged when her knees weakened and she continued to drink in the sight, unable to look away. She reached for his form, and he pounced on her chest, driving her back into the soft grass. When she reached to stroke his back, she found it bare, but she kept petting him as if he were still in his previous neko form. His arms wound around her and his silver hair hung in curtains, enveloping her face. He snaked his arm under the hem of her shirt, his cold fingers making her shiver._

With thoughts of her dreams in her head, she tried to focus on the last and first. She didn't want to forget the first one. Did it hold any meaning? After all, she wasn't one to predict things through her dreams.

And the last one….What was that about? The fragment of a dream floated away, but she was left with a feeling of lust and want. She wanted to remember, but became frustrated when she couldn't recall it. Something had happened. Something she wanted to remember. It was going to bug her for days, now that she had forgotten it.

At least she remembered the first one. She would distract herself with trying to decipher a meaning from it, if there was one. Her dreams had always been random, though, her brain collecting thoughts that had passed through her mind that day and put them together in a mush. So maybe, hopefully, it didn't mean anything bad to come in the future.

And then she laughed, remembering how that dream ended, with Naraku acting like a clown.

----------------------------Sesshomaru---------------------------

Sesshomaru flicked his eyes down at her, amused that she was laughing to herself. She was acting a little strange today, what with the lust emanating from her as she clung to his body, and then moods changing rapidly in a time span of a few seconds. Strange miko.

Now, as she giggled, she unconsciously nestled closer to his body. This time he didn't react. He would have to get used to her closeness if they were to be traveling companions.

Then a tendril of Rin's scent passed through the inuyoukai's heightened senses. Soon after came the imp's and Ah-Un's. Rin and the others were downwind, so Ah-Un might have noticed their presence. Maybe they were two or so miles away. After a day of walking, they would reach them before the sun bled red and went down over the horizon.

* * *

A/N Yea! Finally, I have finished writing this. I tried to make it longer than before, because it always bothers me when i read a really short chapter. I hope i succeeded all right. ^^;

Agh, please review, to help me with what's going to happen. I have no idea where this story's gonna go.


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